Crossing Boundaries and Changing Identities: Empowering South Asian Women through Sport and Physical Activities

The participation of women in sport is significant to socio-economic empowerment in any country. Evidence reveal that although South Asian female athletes are capable of winning medals in the Olympics, a very low percentage of the South Asian female population ever participate actively in sport. The status and circumstances to participate in sport are restricted for many female athletes in South Asia. This paper examined the main factors that influence women's sporting participation in South Asian countries. Data were analysed by using documentary analysis method. This paper analysed a combination of concepts addressing women and sport in South Asia in two ways. Firstly, it emphasises the issues and patterns of women's participation in sport in South Asian countries after the independence from the British Empire. Secondly, it highlights the benefits to South Asian societies of women's participation in sport, but argues why South Asian women are trivialised in sports participation. Results revealed the inequalities and discrimination that constrain women from participating in the South Asian sports sector as personal, social and cultural barriers. Possible solutions are provided to reduce these factors to encourage South Asian women's participation in sport. Success and the implications of South Asian governments’ interventions on women and sport are also discussed. Results of this study revealed the inequalities and discrimination that constrain women from participating in the South Asian sports sector is continuing.     

Improvement of cellular health indicators and muscle quality in older women with different resistance training volumes

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this study was to compare the effects of resistance training (RT) performed with different training volumes on phase angle (PhA), body water components, and muscle quality (MQ) in untrained older adult women. A second purpose was to assess the relationship between PhA and MQ. Sixty-two older adult women (68.6 ± 5.0 years, 65.2 ± 13.3 kg, 156.1 ± 6.2 cm) were randomly assigned into one of the three groups: two training groups performed either 1 set (G1S) or 3 sets (G3S), or a control group (CG). Body water components and PhA were estimated by bioelectrical impedance (BIA). MQ was determined by dividing skeletal muscle mass estimated by dual-energy absorptiometry (DXA) by total muscle strength from three exercises. After the intervention period, both training groups demonstrated improvements (P < 0.05) when compared with CON for intracellular water, total body water, PhA, and MQ. These results suggest that RT can improve PhA, body water components, and MQ after 12 weeks of RT in untrained older women, regardless of training volume. Furthermore, changes in MQ were positively correlated with changes in PhA (r = 0.60, P < 0.01).     

The compatibility of concurrent high intensity interval training and resistance training for muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the effect of concurrent high intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance training (RT) on strength and hypertrophy. Five electronic databases were searched using terms related to HIIT, RT, and concurrent training. Effect size (ES), calculated as standardised differences in the means, were used to examine the effect of concurrent HIIT and RT compared to RT alone on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Sub-analyses were performed to assess region-specific strength and hypertrophy, HIIT modality (cycling versus running), and inter-modal rest responses. Compared to RT alone, concurrent HIIT and RT led to similar changes in muscle hypertrophy and upper body strength. Concurrent HIIT and RT resulted in a lower increase in lower body strength compared to RT alone (ES = ?0.248, p = 0.049). Sub analyses showed a trend for lower body strength to be negatively affected by cycling HIIT (ES = ?0.377, p = 0.074) and not running (ES = ?0.176, p = 0.261). Data suggests concurrent HIIT and RT does not negatively impact hypertrophy or upper body strength, and that any possible negative effect on lower body strength may be ameliorated by incorporating running based HIIT and longer inter-modal rest periods.     

我国中部城市老年体育锻炼现状调查分析

对我国中部8个城市老年人参加体育锻炼的有关情况进行了抽样调查,结果表明：我国中部城市老年人参加体育锻炼的时间较多,频率较高,内容丰富形式多样,且大部分老年人参加体育锻炼的意识较强,体育健身活动的习惯已基本养成。但是,老年人在参加体育锻炼的同时缺乏体育锻炼的方法,体育健身活动场地有限,老年人体育组织建设滞后,等等,并提出...     

The effects of resistance training volume on osteosarcopenic obesity in older women

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of resistance training (RT) performed with 1 or 3 sets per exercise on osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO) syndrome parameters in older women. Sixty-two older women (68.0 ± 4.3 years, 26.8 ± 4.4 kg/m²) participated in a 12-week RT program. Participants were randomly assigned into one of the three groups: two training groups that performed either 1 set (G1S, n = 21) or 3 sets (G3S, n = 20) 3 times weekly, or a control group (CG, n = 21). Body composition was assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry, strength was evaluated by 1 repetition maximum testing. The G3S presented significantly higher strength changes than G1S. The changes for percentage of body fat were higher for G3S compared to G1S. There was no difference in skeletal muscle mass between G3S and G1S, however both training groups displayed greater increases in this outcome compared to CG. There was no effect for bone mineral density. The overall analysis indicated higher (P < 0.05) positive changes for G3S than G1S (composed Z-score: G3S = 0.62 ± 0.40; G1S = 0.11 ± 0.48). The results suggest that a 12-week RT period is effective to improve the risk factors of OSO, and that 3 sets induce higher improvements than a single set.     

对太原市民参与全民健身活动的现状调查与分析

通过问卷调查、面访座谈了解了太原市民参与健身活动的认识、内容、时间、场所、消费等方面的情况 ,并进行了统计分析。结果表明 :太原市民的体育认识较好 ,参与健身活动的人数较多 ,但体育人口和体育消费水平较低 ,处于全国中等偏上水平。当前影响太原市民体育健身的主要因素是没有时间、学习或工作太累、没有锻炼场所和不懂科学锻炼方法等。为此 ,提出了相应的建议和对策 ,为更好地落实《全民健身计划纲要》提供决策参考。     

Cultural diversity in community sport: An ethnographic inquiry of Somali Australians’ experiences

Sport organisations aim to grow the participation of culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including newly arrived people from refugee backgrounds. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic research conducted by the author at community sport organisations in the multicultural city of Melbourne, this paper examines the key factors that affect the sport participation experiences of Somali Australians. It is shown that interpersonal and structural barriers to sport participation predominate, and that the significance of these barriers varies according to age, gender and time in Australia. The paper concludes that in order to foster inclusive sporting environments in which people from refugee backgrounds can participate in a safe, comfortable and culturally appropriate way, refugee settlement needs to be understood as a two-way process of mutual accommodation requiring adaptation on the part of both the migrant and the host society.     

Effects of an afterschool community center physical activity program on fitness and body composition in obese youth

Physical activity (PA) promotes health in obese youth and is an important adjunct to medical weight management. Access to structured fitness programmes for obese, low-income youth is limited and potential benefits of such programmes are poorly understood. We describe an urban afterschool fitness programme for obese youth and participants’ changes in fitness and body composition. A case series of 30 youth (age: 11.5 ± 2.5 years) with BMI ≥95th percentile and physician referral received a 24-wk programme scholarship. The programme, offered 4 times a week for 90-min.session, included aerobic, strength, and self-organised PA. Primary outcomes, measured at baseline (BL) time 1 (4–8 wk) and time 2 (12–16 wk) were BMI, per cent body fat (%BF), fat-free mass (FFM), heart rate during a treadmill test, and muscular strength (one repetition maximum (1RM)) and endurance (reps at 70% of 1RM) on the leg press (LP) and chest press (CP). Average participation was 1.5 ± 0.6 visits per week for 18.7 ± 6.5 weeks. Between BL and time 2, LP and CP 1RM and endurance significantly improved (P < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant interaction for %BF with boys losing 5.2% (P > 0.05) while girls lost 0% (>0.05). Obese youth attending an urban fitness programme for at least three months improved strength and body composition, but average attendance was below planned levels.     

Young People's Socialisation into Sport: A Case Study of an Athletics Club

This paper explores young people's (9 to 15 years old) early socialisation into sport. We draw on data from an 18-month-long ethnography of the junior section of an athletics club in England, using field notes, interviews and a psychometric questionnaire. We begin by noting a trend towards increasing numbers of younger children participating in adult-organised, community-based sport. Within this context, we investigate the extent to which Siedentop's [(1995) Junior Sport and the evolution of sport cultures, Keynote presentation to the Junior Sport Forum, Auckland, New Zealand] three main goals for young people's participation in sport, i.e. the educative, public health and elite development, are met in specific, local junior sport settings such as Forest Athletics Club (FAC). We report that most of the young people participating in the Introductory Groups at FAC begin their socialisation into sport by 'sampling' a range of sports and other activities that are available to them. We note the key features of the sampling phase for these young people, including their involvement in sports and other activities in addition to athletics, their reasons for participation, the place of competition and the importance of friendship. We report that FAC created a climate for the Samplers, intentionally or not, conducive to the development of Siedentop's educative goal, and to a lesser extent the public health and elite development goals. In concluding, we note the implications of the study for community-based programmes run by clubs.     

Examining the participation patterns of an ageing population with disabilities in Australia

Social policies facilitate equity of access for participation in physical activity by all groups of people in society. While the sport participation of able-bodied people has been widely examined, much less attention has been given to the participation of people with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the patterns of participation in physical activity of people with disabilities. Based on the leisure constraint theory, a theoretical framework is developed that describes participation as a function of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural constraints. The framework is tested using a comprehensive sample of people in Australia from 2009 and 2010. From the dataset a sub-sample of people with disabilities was identified (n = 4342). As 78.1% of participants were aged 45 years and older, the sample represents an ageing population and a selected segment of the population of people with disabilities. Therefore, generalisations to disability sport need to be made with caution. The results show that 57% of the respondents participate in physical activity for an average of 4 h per week. The regression results indicate that the type of disability, the extent to which the person is restricted by the disability, age, gender, and education have a significant effect on participation. People with high workloads who are in a relationship participate less frequently. The cluster analysis resulted in two non-participant clusters and three participant clusters. The results inform policy makers and sport managers on ways to better support the participation of people with disabilities and specifically target their needs.     

The Importance of Adolescents’ Participation in Organized Sport According to VO2peak: A Longitudinal Study

Research from several countries has documented a decline in physical activity (PA) levels and in participation in organized sport with increasing age, indicating that organized sport may be of importance to adolescents’ cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how regular participation in organized and unorganized PA affected the development of adolescents’ CRF (peak oxygen consumption [VO₂peak]), when controlled for sex interaction. Method: Data on direct measures of VO₂peak and participation in organized PA among adolescents organized into 3 groups (participation in organized sport, participation in unorganized PA, and no weekly PA) were collected from 76 students (39 boys and 37 girls), when they were aged 14 and 19 years old. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between VO₂peak values in the 3 groups at both 14 years of age, F(2, 73) = 7.16, p < .05, ?² = .170, and 19 years of age, F(2, 73) = 14.00, p < .05, ?² = .300, independent of sex at both 14 and 19 years of age, F(2, 73) = 0.05, p > .05, ?² = .02, and F(2, 73) = 0.05, p > .05, ?² = .00. Adolescents participating in organized sport also had statistically significantly higher VO₂peak values than adolescents participating in unorganized PA and those with no weekly PA, at both 14 and 19 years of age. Conclusion: From a health perspective, in terms of CRF, the findings highlight the importance of encouraging adolescents to participate in organized sport and to refrain from dropping out of organized sport programs.     

体育运动与青少年心理健康的调查研究——对北京香港青少年心理压力诱因的调查及对比研究

通过对北京和香港2009名青少年学生进行的问卷调查结果所做的分析,发现他们普遍存在心理压力的困扰,而造成心理压力的主要诱因是考试、学业、个人前途、家庭和金钱等。通过对比分析可看出香港青少年受心理压力的困扰程度略高于北京,而经常参加体育运动的青少年,其心理压力困扰的程度又明显低于不经常参加者。研究认为,经常而合理地参加体育运动有利于青少年心理的健康发展。     

Socialization of Prospective Physical Education Teachers: The Story of New Blood

There has been much criticism of how teachers are prepared to teach and physical education has not been immune from this criticism. Despite numerous efforts to improve the content and focus of teacher education programmes there is still a paucity of programme evaluation research on the efficacy of these teacher education programmes (Metzler & Tjeerdsma, 1998). This paper reports on part of a yearlong investigation on the efficacy of a graduate physical education teacher education programme to prepare teachers. The focus of this aspect of the study was to identify what attracted graduate students to pursue a teaching career and what beliefs they held about physical education teachers and teaching. This was a qualitative case study and multiple data sources were gathered to address the research questions. The data sources included interviews, analyses of the students' autobiographical statements, and observations of their teaching, critical incidents from their teaching and peer responses to critical incidents. Findings indicate that this cohort of graduate students, many embarking on a major career change, was more committed to teaching and their love for teaching children than coaching. While their own success and love of sport was a factor in their career choice, their experiences in helping young people engage in and enjoy physical activity was more significant than their desire to gain a teaching credential. They believed their role as a physical education teacher was to be a physically active role model and help students appreciate the importance of physical activity, to contribute to the development of student self-esteem, especially those sometimes marginalized in physical education classes, and to plan and teach lessons that would motivate all students to participate in class. This work is grounded in the occupational socialization literature and the findings are discussed in terms of what we know about how to maximize the impact of teacher education programmes especially when students' beliefs may not be aligned with those of the programme.     

西北少数民族群众传统体育活动研究

地缘关系、经济方式、民族文化与传承方式、管理方法、融资渠道为西北少数民族群众传统体育活动构建了支撑平台和运行环境；扩大民族文化交流，弘扬民族精神，提高传统体育技艺是西北少数民族群众参与传统体育活动的主要目的；重视区域因素，加强民族成员之间的沟通，是少数民族群众最终演化参与的直接诱因，宗教因素的吸纳是促使少数民族群众参与的载体；体育媒体的宣传与引导能有效触发参与的思维共振和行为互动；政府行为占主导、自发参与低．地缘经济式活动场所，民族节日的时间安排，根植于现实经济水平的实物消费，民族风情浓郁的活动项目是参与的主要特征。     

体育行为和大众参与体育运动的影响因素——中国26-55岁城市居民体育生活方式影响因素调查报告

文章统计分析中国26-55岁城市居民参与体育运动的影响因素,找出阻碍中国26-55岁城市居民参与体育运动的共同的主要障碍;运用心理学的理论分析体育行为的产生、发展、形成的具体过程.结论:影响大众参加体育运动的主要因素是"人"本身,大众参加体育运动的决定因素是"人"这一行为主体,外部环境条件只起到推动、限制和导向等辅助作用.讨论:"人"的体育行为的特殊性--行为主体、行为客体、行为手段三者同一,解决大众参与体育运动的     

制约安徽省残疾人参与体育活动的因素分析及对策研究

运用文献资料法、专家咨询法、访谈法、逻辑分析法等研究方法,对安徽省残疾人参与体育活动进行研究,发现制约安徽省残疾人参与体育活动的因素主要是残疾人综合服务基础设施缺乏、适合残疾人专用的体育健身康复器材短缺、残疾人参与体育活动的组织管理机构不够完善等,在此基础上提出多渠道筹集资金、加强残疾人体育基础设施建设、培养残疾人体育指导员、积极开展残疾人社区体育等发展对策。     

全国少数民族传统体育运动会的制度完善

运用跨文化比较的方法,以特奥会为参照,探寻民运会制度完善的途径。认为民运会在以下几方面应当有所突破才能建立相对完善的制度和组织体系:一是建立多种参与机制,民运会除了应具有传统比赛项目以外,还应设置非比赛性质的项目,并应尽量吸收少数民族人才参与赛事的组织;二是以民族为参赛单元组织比赛,设置多种奖励措施,激发民间选手的参与热情;三是采用多重标准分组,以使各种能力的参与者都能参与到民运会中;四是完善项目选择的标准,坚持多样性原则、可接受性原则和人文性的原则。